


A Stark by Any Other Name

by SadieYuki



Series: A Heart Before the Arc [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Amazing Spider-Man (Movies - Webb), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, and an original female character who's peter's baby momma, kid!Peter, mentions of Howard Stark's A+ parenting, pepper is the voice of reason, tony doesn't think he can be a dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-08
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-16 21:35:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3503582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SadieYuki/pseuds/SadieYuki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An hour before, Tony had been woken up by JARVIS, who informed him that there was a very distressed woman at the front door asking for him. When Tony tried to ignore the summons, JARVIS added that the woman had a baby with her.</p><p>Left with a baby he has no idea what to do with, Tony calls Pepper for help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Stark by Any Other Name

“I’m never sleeping with a woman ever again.”

“I don’t believe _that_ for a second,” Pepper said dryly. “And I gotta say I’m surprised this is the first time this has happened.”

“Hey, I’m all about safe sex,” Tony said indignantly.

“Well that’s nice to hear.”

“It’s not _my_ fault the condom broke, or whatever the fuck happened,” Tony scowled, looking at the sleeping baby on the table in front of him.

“No, I guess not,” Pepper said softly, following his gaze.

An hour before, Tony had been woken up by JARVIS, who had informed him that there was a very distressed woman at the front door asking for him. When Tony tried to ignore the summons, JARVIS added that the woman had a baby with her. Tony then released a loud curse, rolled out of bed, and stormed to his front door without changing or anything. _Luckily_ , he had been in sweats and a t-shirt at the time.

At the door stood a beautiful young woman with a few inches on Tony, her chestnut hair pulled up in a bun and hazel eyes rimmed with red like she had been crying. Similar to Tony, she wore black running pants, a loose t-shirt, and a thin running jacket that didn't match her outfit. Clearly she had grabbed whatever clothing had been lying around. Tony vaguely remembered the woman from an awards after-party less than a year ago, an up-and-coming model with a ‘C’ name and a talented tongue.

Tony’s eyes drifted downward, and rather than stopping to appreciate the toned and slender legs that the running pants so graciously hugged, his attention was grabbed by a black and maroon baby seat on the ground, with a pastel blue blanket swaddled around a slumbering baby that couldn’t have been more than a couple weeks old. He looked back up at the woman’s face and found her glowering at him with pursed lips.

“Consulting hours are between eight and five every other Thursday—”

“Cut the crap, Tony,” the woman snapped before sighing and rubbing her forehead tiredly. She grimaced before dropping her hand. “I don’t even know if you remember me, but—”

“Cassandra Rowling, model for the Ford Modelling Agency, claimed to be on birth control—” Tony rattled off, the memory fully coming back to him now that he was wide-awake.

“I _was_ ,” Cassandra groaned. “It’s not a one hundred percent guarantee though. And you wore a condom, we did everything right...” she trailed off with a frustrated tone and massaged her temple again. “Impressive memory, though.” She sighed, and looked down at the baby by her side. “It’s probably obvious why I’m here,” she said, nodding her head  
down toward the baby.

“You’re sure it’s mine?” Tony asked dubiously, looking down at the kid skeptically.

“Positive,” Cassandra nodded firmly. “You can run whatever paternity tests you want, but you’re the only possible person it could be.”

Tony glanced down at the kid and found it hard to argue with her surety. The kid definitely had the Stark nose, among other facial similarities. “If it’s child support you want, fine, but you didn't need to bring the kid along,” Tony grumbled, already ready to move past this situation.

“In a manner of speaking...” Cassandra winced, and Tony quickly got the meaning.

“Oh no, no way,” Tony spat quickly, taking a step back. “I am _not_ raising that thing.”

“That _thing_ is your son,” Cassandra hissed. She stepped forward and jabbed Tony in the chest. “ _You_ have the resources to raise this kid, _I_ don’t, and I’m leaving him somewhere he can have a good life.”

“Maybe you haven’t been paying attention, but I’m not exactly the parental type,” Tony returned heatedly.

“Well, you’re gonna have to learn,” Cassandra said bitterly. “His medical records and birth certificate are in the baby chair, and I haven’t named him yet so that’s up to you. But for fuck’s sake, _don’t_ give him a stupid celebrity name like Kodiak or Ocean or Apple—”

“I never said I was taking him!” Tony interrupted angrily, but Cassandra didn’t back down.

“I’m leaving him on this doorstep whether you like it or not,” she said determinedly, her eyes turning watery. “I’m going to turn around, get in my car, and drive off, and you will have a baby in front of your door, and it will be up to you what you do with him. I hope I know you well enough to know you won’t leave him out here.”

“I knew you for an _hour_ and you have that kind of read on me?” Tony asked incredulously. “That’s a big gamble.”

“I don’t have a choice,” Cassandra muttered, before turning around and true to her word, walking off and leaving the child in front of Tony. After a moment where he was stunned enough to not move, he tried to run after the woman, but she had already snapped her car door closed and peeled out of the driveway.

Tony groaned, ambling back to the door where the baby seat remained. Tony glared at the baby before grabbing the handle and yanking the seat inside. He carried it to the glass table in the foyer, placing it near the center and sitting heavily on a chair next to it. He propped his chin on his hand and watched the sleeping boy.

“JARVIS?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Call Pepper.”

It had taken some coaxing and the promise of a very generous bonus to get her to the Stark Malibu Mansion at three in the morning, but the pair found themselves where they were now, looking at a baby Tony had no idea what to do with.

Pepper voiced as much. “So what’re you gonna do?” she asked.

Tony shrugged, leaning back but not taking his gaze off the child. “Call up Child Services in the morning, probably.”

Pepper gaped at him. “You’re giving him away?”

“What d’you expect me to do?” Tony huffed. “I can’t raise a kid. Look at my lifestyle, I’m in no way equipped to raise a baby.”

Pepper pursed her lips. “You’re going to give up your son because you don’t want to give up your partying habits?” she said disapprovingly. “You need to take responsibility for this, Tony. This isn't a stray dog you found on the street—”

“I found him on the doorstep—”

“—this is a child, _your_ child,” Pepper stressed.

“I’d be an awful father, Pep.”

“I’m saying you don’t have to be!” Pepper retorted crossly. “I think you can bare to give up going out every night to party in order to raise your kid—”

“No, that’s not—” Tony cut himself off with a frustrated growl. He dropped his head into his hands and massaged his temple. “Fatherhood is not something I’d be good at.”

“I’m trying to tell you that you can learn—”

“How am I supposed to be a good father when I don’t know what a good father is?” Tony burst finally, his voice a rare tone of despondent.

Pepper frowned, her anger leaking away. Pepper had been working directly under Tony for three years, not enough time for her to grasp the childhood and life Tony had before taking over the role of CEO for Stark Industries. The conversation had never come up. It never needed to come up. Tony had done a great job so far keeping his past separate from his life now. Sure, he mixed business with pleasure more often than not, and Pepper had seen her fair share of Tony’s current personal life, but his past was something Tony had never shared with her.

“You can learn,” Pepper repeated gently when it became clear Tony was not going to elaborate any time soon. “You may not know what a good father is, but you can still be one.”

“I wouldn't even know where to start,” Tony said, bringing his gaze back to the sleeping baby. “My father never—” he paused, debating how much he wanted to say. “In my entire life, my father never once told me he loved me. He never hugged me, he never said ‘good job,’ and he was never there.”

“And that felt awful,” Pepper supplied, helping Tony along with his rare expression of feelings.

“Of course it did!” he snapped.

“Then you know exactly what _not_ to do,” Pepper continued quickly. “You’re saying you won’t be a good father because yours never was, but that might be the exact reason why you could be a _great_ one. Your father never said ‘I love you’? You tell this boy you love him every single day, if not more. He never hugged you? You show this boy as much affection as he can handle. He never praised you? You tell this boy how proud you are of him. Your father was never there? Then be there for your kid. You can be a good father, Tony.”

Tony remained silent, mulling over Pepper’s words. He could do all the things Pepper just said, he decided. If he kept reminding himself how much his own childhood sucked, that would give him all the more reasons to make sure this kid never experienced that. And the only way to guarantee that this kid had a good childhood was if he personally ensured it himself. Giving the child away meant that he would never know if the kid grew up well.

“Okay,” he breathed out, running a hand through his hair. “Okay,” he repeated. He took the baby seat and moved it so it was facing him dead on, and the movement jostled the baby enough to wake it up. Remarkably, the baby simply blinked his eyes open, made a small noise, but otherwise remained silent. His eyes were the same hazel as his mother’s. “Alright, baby. I’m your daddy,” he said to the child, who soundlessly looked back at him. “I’m gonna take care of you from now on. And I know I just met you, but I—I love you so _so_ much,” he added with an encouraging nod from Pepper. “How’s that sound, kiddo?”

Though the baby probably hadn't understood a word of what Tony said, he still gurgled happily, waving his hands a bit a Tony. Tony felt himself grin, and held out a finger for the baby to hold.

“See, you already look like a dad,” Pepper grinned, watching the display fondly. “He’s already got you wrapped around his finger.”

“Technically, the kid’s wrapped around _my_ finger,” Tony replied, but just as he said it the boy let go. “Or not.”

“Now that you’re keeping him, you’re gonna need to call him something other than ‘kid,’” Pepper pointed out.

“She said I could name him,” Tony said. “All she asked was that I don’t name him something stupid like Apple or something.”

“Aw, I think Apple would be kinda sweet,” Pepper said idly. “It’s more of a girl’s name though.”

“It’s not even a _name_ , it’s a _fruit_ ,” Tony said, waving his hand dismissively. “No, I wanna name the kid something sciency.”

“What does that even mean?” Pepper asked tiredly.

“You know, something that has to do with science. A name you would associate with it.”

“Then how about Eddie for Thomas Edison? Or Albert for—”

“I’m not naming my kid after some dead guy,” Tony interrupts, hands raised. “Albert Einstein Stark? No fucking way. Those would be my exact initials, no thank you.”

“Then what would you suggest? Are you gonna name him after an element?” Pepper said exasperatedly. “Neon Stark? Or maybe Tin Stark? Iron? Sulfur, Krypton, Potassium, Magnesium—”

“Ooh, now there’s an idea.”

Pepper rolled her eyes forcefully. “Oh my God, Tony, you’re not naming your kid _Magnesium_ —”

“Potassium, Potassium chloride, Potassium nitrate, also known as saltpeter—,” Tony stopped, and looked at Pepper with an almost starstruck look. “Peter.”

Pepper hummed thoughtfully. “I like that. Peter Stark.”

“Except he can’t be a Stark in public,” Tony said suddenly, a serious look taking over his face.

“Wait, what?” Pepper shot him a confused look. “Why not?”

“I cannot tell you how many times I was targeted when I was a kid, just because I was Howard Stark’s son,” Tony revealed tiredly. “My father may not’ve cared, but I am not putting my kid through that.”

“Fair enough,” Pepper conceded softly. “We’re gonna have to handle this carefully then.”

“We?” Tony asked, amused.

“Of course, we,” Pepper said dismissively. “You wake me up at three in the morning for this, you better believe I’m Peter’s godmother.”

“Okay, okay,” Tony smirked, returning his gaze to Peter. “Petey, meet your Aunt Pep.” Unsurprisingly, the baby didn't respond.

“Happy’s gonna have to know,” Pepper decided. “If he’s your bodyguard and chauffeur, he’ll need to know in case there’s a situation.”

“He can bring Peter to school too,” Tony decided. “I’m not gonna be able to do it without tipping people off.”

“You’re thinking a little far ahead there,” Pepper said wryly. “Peter’s not gonna be old enough for preschool for another couple years.”

“Obie needs to know,” Tony said. “I might have to miss a board meeting or two to take care of him, and he’s gonna need an actual reason to help me off the hook.”

Pepper nodded. “Anyone else?”

“Rhodey,” Tony decided. “He should know too.”

“Okay, Happy, Obadiah, and Rhodey,” Pepper nodded. “You’ll see Happy and Obadiah in the morning, and I can call Rhodey and find out when he can stop by next. And we’ll need to get Peter’s legal documents all sorted out. We can have a secret file on hand that has his actual name, but we’ll need to give him an alias name for public record.”

“He’s keeping Peter, it’d be too confusing for a kid to have two different first names,” Tony said firmly.

“Alright, so just a last name then. And you can even make that his middle name to avoid legal complications.”

“It should be something familiar, so something that actually means something,” Tony decided. “We’re not making it Peter Smith or whatever.”

“How about Rhodes?” Pepper suggested. “That would mean a lot to Rhodey.”

“Rhodey can be the godfather, but Peter’s not getting his name,” Tony said, shaking his head. “Rhodey and I have to much public contact, it would be too easy to make the connection if someone went poking their nose into it. Same reason why Potts or Hogan wouldn't work.”

“Then what do you suggest?”

“Parker,” Tony said immediately. He’d been mulling the name over during the whole name conversation. Richard Parker, a genius in the field of biology, had been his roommate at MIT. While their respective professions don’t have much overlap like Tony and Rhodey, the pair had kept in contact since graduation. In fact, Richard had recently gotten a job with Oscorp, a business rival of Tony’s, so the connection was even less apparent to the public. The man had seen him through some tough times, especially after the death of his parents and Jarvis, and he couldn't think of a better way to say thank you than to name his kid after him. And when Peter was old enough to ask about the name, Tony would have something meaningful to tell him. 

Pepper didn't bother asking him to elaborate. “Peter Parker,” she repeated, trying out the name. “That actually has a nice ring to it.”

Tony nodded, looking at the baby settled comfortably in the baby seat on the table. This child was an angel, he hadn't cried at all during this whole ordeal. Maybe Tony could actually do this. “How d’you like that, kid?” The newly named Peter gurgled happily, and Tony couldn't help but grin. “Peter Parker Stark it is.”

**Author's Note:**

> The 'Apple' baby name and Pepper's fondness of it was really just thrown in for my own amusement, because Gwenyth Paltrow's daughter is named Apple xD
> 
> I've been finding it really hard to write these characters, so please let me know if you think they're in character or not, I would really appreciate it. 
> 
> The next fic I'm planning on posting from this series is the beginning of the Avengers Meet Peter series. Each will be it's own chapter, and will be in chronological order as each Avenger meets him. Be on the lookout for that! Natasha's first! :) 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
